title: Microvascular caliber changes in intramucosal and submucosally invasive esophageal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intrapapillary capillary loops (IPCLs) show distinct pattern changes corresponding to tumor progression and depth of invasion, important for in vivo characterization of superficial squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We examined the relation between invasion depth and histopathologic IPCL diameter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospectively, before lesion resection, magnification endoscopy and narrow band imaging were used to identify IPCL patterns of type V1 (corresponding to tumors limited to the mucosa; 10 patients) and type Vn (submucosally invading tumors; 10 patients). Post-resection, IPCL samples (type I [normal mucosa], n = 103; V1, n = 113; Vn, n = 100) were stained with hematoxylin & eosin, CD34, and desmin, and vessel diameter measured using light microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (standard deviation [SD]) histopathologic calibers of IPCLs of types I, V1, and Vn were significantly different, being 7.7 (2.8) µm, 21.9 (7.4) µm, and 65.2 (22.9) µm; type 1 vs. V1, P < 0.001; V1 vs. Vn, P < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Magnification endoscopy observation of IPCLs allows in vivo discrimination between intramucosal and submucosally invasive cancer.
authors.affiliation: Digestive Disease Center, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Japan. gsantimd@yahoo.com
authors.forename: E G R
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Santi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onimaru
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maselli
authors.forename: B-H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Hayee
authors.forename: S-E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kudo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004945:Esophagoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011446:Prospective Studies